The history of cartoons in American newsprint began on May 9th, 1754. Benjamin Franklin had an idea about the need to unite the colonies. A cartoon accompanied his editorial – a single panel image meant to persuade the colonies to work together against common enemies. The picture underscored the message and communicated it differently for those who … read more »
As teachers, we curate things all of the time. Our Pinterest accounts have boards like “Makerspace Ideas”, “STEM Challenges”, “Bulletin Board Ideas”, and “Word Walls”. Gathering, selecting, and organizing resources takes time, but allows you to hone in on the important nuances of a big idea that you are wrestling with. It took me a … read more »
I was fortunate to attend the 2019 VSTE conference in early December in dual capacities: the Source for Learning is a sponsor for the conference, and I was representing the ISTE Board of Directors. It’s always nice to see what is happening in edtech in various places, and this was no exception. From Micheal Bonner’s … read more »
You may have taken part in any number of professional learning opportunities while school was out of session to hone your craft. As you think about getting this school year off the ground, take a moment to reflect and sift through your notes. Sometimes you can find themes that can help organize the great ideas … read more »
The stars don’t look bigger, but they do look brighter. Sally Ride Sometimes getting through to the end of a school year is difficult. You’ve used up your “bag of tricks” and students are losing their focus. Consider this as the perfect time to try something new. Let’s take a look at how to learn … read more »
There’s a better way to do it – find it. Thomas Edison Have you read articles like this one that tell us about all of the jobs that may disappear in the next few years? Or, maybe you have been to a presentation where you’ve heard all about the skills we teach students that may … read more »
I’m thinking back to my Teach Like a Pirate post. There are so many fun “holidays” that you could use for your hook. For example, Saturday is “pretend to be a time traveler” day. This day could be the anchor for a very cool humanities project. Arrange students in small groups to form their … read more »
Did you know that many of the very first government departments, established by our first President, George Washington, remain in place today? On April 10, 1790, just under a year after his inauguration, President Washington signed a bill placing the foundation for our current patent system. This law, for the first time, gave the rights … read more »
“To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.” – Thomas Edison Did you resolve to implement something new into your classroom this year? Or perhaps you want to continue building on something you have already started? If so, you might want to consider celebrating Kid Inventors’ Day on January 17 with … read more »
As teachers and schools gear up for The Hour of Code (December 4-10), I think it’s really important to remind our students that coding isn’t an end to itself. It is a means to solve a problem. One way to help students understand that that is to explain where coding would fit in the a … read more »